The invention relates to a method and system for presenting or reproducing information in a viewing especially of a driver of a vehicle, or a train, or a captain of a ship, or a pilot of an airplane or of any other person who has to gaze in a certain direction, especially for observing or monitoring the environment like for example a road in case of a vehicle driver.
It is generally known that for safely driving a vehicle the driver has to look predominantly onto the road for observing the traffic and avoiding accidents. However, especially drivers in current vehicles are often required to look away from the road and into the interior of the vehicle. For example, the driver frequently needs to directly fixate (look straight at) the speedometer, the radio or navigation displays and he must be able to read and understand the information presented there and to operate these and other devices, additionally to driving the vehicle and monitoring the traffic.
Any glances away from the road for example into the interior of the vehicle can potentially cause an unsafe driving situation because the driver's ability to detect changes in the on-road environment is reduced. Off-road glances lead to undesirable safety consequences such as increased variability of lane-keeping performance, lane exceedencies, increased brake reaction times, missed events and more.
SE 0201571-7 discloses a device for indicating an operational state of a vehicle comprising a display unit which shows graphical information in the form of an arc shaped scale extending from a first angle to a second angle and a number of numerals. The operational state is indicated by a first segment which extends from the first angle to a third variable angle and which assumes a state that is visually distinguishable from the second segment between the third and the second angle. Furthermore in order to increase the legibility of the operational state each numeral is arranged to be able to assume a first normal format and a second larger format, wherein the latter is activated in the area around the relevant operational state.
This device is provided to reduce the time for transmitting the information concerned, like for example the speed of a vehicle, while retaining the precision, whereby the driver is able to keep his attention directed towards the current driving situation to a greater extent.
It is desirable to provide a method and system by which the above mentioned risks can be further reduced and the safety especially of driving a vehicle can be further increased.
It is desirable to provide a method and system for presenting or reproducing information in such a way that especially a person mentioned in the first paragraph who is operating a vehicle, airplane, ship or train, is less impaired with respect to his ability to detect changes in the environment, when reading such information.
It is desirable to provide a method and system by which the number of glances away from the environment which has to be observed in order to read information by a person mentioned in the first paragraph is further reduced.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for presenting or reproducing information in a person's view with at least one display device comprises selecting a presentation or reproduction of the information by at least one display device for recognition by foveal vision or by peripheral vision, and adapting the presentation or reproduction of the information according to the selection with respect to at least one of its magnitude, size, contrast, and intensity in dependency on whether the information is to be recognized by foveal vision or by peripheral vision of the person.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method for presenting or reproducing information in a person's view with at least one projection or head mounted display device comprises detecting at least one of a gaze direction and a gaze point of the person, presenting or reproducing the information so that it is recognizable by foveal vision or by peripheral vision in dependency on an eccentricity between the at least one of the gaze direction and the gaze point and the location of the presentation or reproduction of the information, and continuously adapting the presentation or reproduction of the information with respect to at least one of its magnitude, size, contrast, and intensity according to a loss of acuity of the eye of the person with increasing eccentricity in peripheral vision.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method for presenting or reproducing information in a person's view with at least one projection or head mounted display device comprises detecting at least one of a gaze direction and a gate point of the person, presenting or reproducing the information in a predetermined constant visual angle relative to the at least one of the gaze direction and the gaze point and with a predetermined constant magnification in a peripheral vision of the person, so that the presentation or reproduction of the information follows the at least one of the gaze direction and the gaze point of the person.
According to another aspect of the invention, a system for presenting or reproducing information in a person's view comprises at least one display device, a switching arrangement to be operable by the person for switching the system between a “Peripheral-Vision Information On”-state and a “Foveal-Vision Information On”-state, and a control device for controlling the at least one display device according to the operation of the switch, for adapting the presentation or reproduction of the information with respect to at least one of its magnitude, size, contrast, and intensity depending on whether the information is to be recognized by foveal vision or by peripheral vision of the person.
According to another aspect of the invention, a system for presenting or reproducing information in a viewing of a person comprises at least one projection or head mounted display device, a sensor for detecting at least one of a gaze direction and a gaze point of the person, a control device for controlling the at least one display device for presenting or reproducing the information so that it is recognizable by foveal vision or by peripheral vision, in dependency on an eccentricity between the at least one of the gaze direction and the gaze point and the location of the presentation or reproduction of the information, and for continuously adapting the presentation or reproduction of the information with respect to at least one of its magnitude, size, contrast, and intensity according to a loss of acuity of the person's eye with increasing eccentricity in peripheral vision.
According to another aspect of the invention, a system for presenting or reproducing information of a person's view comprises at least one projection or head mounted display device, a sensor for detecting at least one of a gaze direction and a gaze point of the person, and a control device for controlling the at least one display device for presenting or reproducing the information in a predetermined constant visual angle relative to the at least one of the gaze direction and the gaze point and with a predetermined constant magnification in a peripheral vision of the person, so that the presentation or reproduction of the information follows the at least one of the gaze direction and the gaze point of the person.
One advantage of aspects of the invention is that they can be realized in a mobile embodiment for example by means of a portable computer for controlling helmet-mounted, visor-mounted or eyeglass-mounted display devices, so that it is not necessary to install the system according to the invention stationary within a vehicle, train, airplane or ship.